Best Wood Carving Knife For Beginners – 2018

(Last Updated On: February 16, 2018)

If you are a professional or a beginner, you always need a best wood carving knife for the work. The best kind of work in wood carving depends on the knives a user uses for the work. If the knife is perfect then the work gets easier and smoother.

There are many kinds of wood carving knife on the market nowadays. But every product is not perfect for this work. We listed these 7 best whittling knives which provide a user many unique features.

These carving knives are light, handy and affordable at the same time. They also have some other features. So let’s have look at them.

Best Wood Carving Knife For Beginners

1. Flexcut 3 Knife Starter set – Carving Knife Set

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Every woodcarver needs a wood carving knife which fits in hand and therefore to cut wood properly. Flexcut 3 Knife Starter Set gives you three sharp knife which helps the carver to work very comfortably. The three sharp knives make this product different from other products. We can also check more features here.

Features & Benefits

The knives of the product are made with the same edge-holding steel as the gouges and chisels

The ergonomic handle of the product allows for a long time of carving without hand fatigue

The full set includes a cutting knife and a detail knife

The set also includes roughing knife

The knives performs marvelously

The tip of the product is hardened to RC 59-61

The tip is well polished too

The weight of the product is only 7.2 ounces

Pros

Lightweight

Excellent product at an affordable price

The three knives helps user to cut wood smoothly

Good for beginners

Very sharp indeed

Great knife

Handles are well made

Cons

The blade is not rust proof and there for the user has to be careful about the maintenance of the product

However, the product needs to be maintained properly for preventing it from rusting. The unique feature of having three knives makes it different and better than other products.

2. Large Roughing Knife

The Large Roughing Knife comes with hard carbon steel blades which are best for the professionals and the beginners at the same time.

The weight of the product is very much light which increases comfort in work. This product also provides the larger blade that makes it one of the best wood carving knife. Let’s check its other features here.

Features & Benefits

The wood carving knife has hardwood handle of ergonomic ash

The straight edged knife is 1-3/4 inch

Razor sharp blade is provided

Hard carbon steel blade helps to cut like butter

The product is made in the USA

The larger blade of the product helps the user to make quick work and also helps to shape the expected project

Weight of the product is only 2.1 ounces and therefore it’s very easy to carry

Pros

Very light in weight

One of the best products at an affordable price

Razor sharp blade helps to cut smoothly

Great product for the beginners

Amazing edges too

Larger blade is provided

Cons

The product needs to use carefully as it is not rust proof

Though the user faces some problem using the product is not rust proof. But the product provides a good service because of its razor sharp blades and amazing edges.

Also, comes with folding that makes the product more unique and therefore easy to carry

Very much convenient in size

Razor sharp blade helps the user to cut easily

Also, provides six blades.

Weight of the product is 10.2 ounces

Pros

Lightweight

Folding design

Very useful product for such an affordable price

The product is also very handy

Size is very convenient

Cons

If the user doesn’t learn to open and close the product then it becomes dangerous to use

Verdict

Though the user faces a problem in opening and closing, if it is learned properly the user can be benefited highly. The unique feature of folding makes the product unique. This is the best whitting pocket knife I have ever seen.

4.Beginner Palm and Knife Set

This carving knife set probably the best deal for you. You may think why I said so before writing an article. Because after using this set you will tell me that this is the best deal.

I used it several times. Simply, it’s awesome. Carving is a passion for some people. And some transfer their hobby to wood carving.

As a beginner, they don’t know what the best carving knife set is. So in this article, I want to write some words so that people benefited from it. This palm and knife set has many features which as follows:

5. Mora 164 Woodcarving Knife

A professional wood carver knows which knives are essential for doing the work wood carving smoothly and properly.

The Morakniv Wood Carving 164 Hook Knife with Carbon Steel Blade is one of the best wood carving knives for a professional wood carver.

The product gives you not only carbon steel blade but also oiled birch wood handle. Let’s have a look at its other exclusive features. This is the best hook knife for spoon carving.

Features & Benefits

Has hook knife for spoon and detailed wood carving knife

The knife is single edged and has carbon steel blades

Provides oiled birch wood handle

The length of the blade is 2.0 inches, internal radius of the blade is 0.5 inches

And weight of the blade is 2.1oz

Weight of the item is 1.9 ounces

Pros

Very light in weight and therefore the user feels very comfortable in using the product

Affordable price

Handles are made in such a way to use it comfortably

Good for spoon carving

Enough sharp to cut wood easily

Cons

Needs to sharp for a long time use

Gets rusty if the knife is not properly maintained

Every product needs an extra care for its longtime service and therefore this product also needs some extra maintenance. The product is so light and therefore the beginners can also use it comfortably.

6. Morakniv Wood Carving 120 Knife with Laminated Steel Blade

Every wood carving knife needs to be very handy and comfortable to use. The Morakniv Wood Carving 120 Knife with Laminated Steel Blade, 1.9-Inch is very light in weight and much durable too.

The product has also some exclusive features. So check more of its features.

Features & Benefits

The length of the item is 230 mm, product weight is 34 mm and length of the knife is 165 mm

Thickness of the blade is 2.7 mm, and length of the blade is 60 mm

The knife also provides oiled birchwood handle

The product has limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty

The carving knife is very durable because of its laminated steel blade

Weight of the product is only 2.4 ounces

Pros

Very light in weight and therefore the product is very much easy to use

Excellent product at an affordable price

Very sharp and perfect for spoon carving

Great carving knife for the beginners

Best little carvers

Handling of the product is very easy

Cons

The point of the product is very thin and therefore it’s very important to use the product carefully for a long time service

However, the product needs to be used carefully as the point of the product is very thin. But if the user uses the product carefully then it can give a long time service. Being durable and sharp at the same time made it one of the best wood carving knife.

It provides the user durable laminated steel blades that make the knife one of the best wood carving knives. The product is also very handy at the same time. Let’s check its other unique features here.

Features & Benefits

The product has durable laminated steel blades

The wood carving knife also provides oiled birch wood handle

It also provides a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty

Thickness of the blade of the product is 0.8’’, length is 3.2’’ and total length is 7.4’’

The weight of the blade is 2.0 oz

The weight of the product is 1.6 ounce only and therefore the user can use the product very smoothly

Pros

Very light in weight

Affordable price

Excellent product for beginners

Very sharp for cutting wood smoothly

The perfect knife for learning the carving of wood

Carves the wood like butter

Handle is also very

Cons

The product is not rust proof and therefore the user has to maintain the product properly.

Though the product is not rusted prove and therefore it needs extra care. But if the user uses it carefully it can give you a smooth service. The laminated steel blades help the user to cut wood like butter.

8. Morakniv Wood Carving 163 Hook Knife

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Who doesn’t want a knife which is really sharp and handy at the same time? The Morakniv Wood Carving Knife gives you the benefits of one pack. This wood carving hook knife makes your wood carving easy.

The weight of the carving knife is really very light. So it’s really easy to carry and handle. Let’s check other feature of the product here.

Features & Benefits

The product has hook knife for spoon

Detailed wood carving

The knife also has oiled birch wood handle

Length of the blade is 2.4’’ and internal radius is 0.8’’-1.0’’

Provides carbon steel blade

The product also gives limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty

Weight of the knife is only 1.9 ounces and therefore it helps the user to use the product in very comfortable way

What We Liked

Very light in weight and therefore very easy and comfortable to use

Affordable price

Carbon steel blade helps the user to cut wood smoothly

The knife is really sharp and also perfect for spoons

Very easy to use too

The tip will is very sharp too

What We Didn’t Like

The blade will break if the product is not used properly

Not good with very hard wood

Though the product is not good with hardwood, it can cut normal woods very easily. Its carbon steel blade helps the user very much in working. It has also some unique features.

Difference Between Wood Carving and Whittling

You have probably been wondering what the difference between the terms ‘wood carving’ ‘whittling’ is. Actually, the two words are not synonymous with each other. The difference is all down to the tools used.

Whittling is carving with nothing more than a carving knife. Purists may use the term to refer to carving with just a pocket knife. However, this term is only recognized in America.

Elsewhere, it does not matter which tool you are using to carve. Whether a pocket knife or other specialized tools, it is all carving. Some woodworkers may tell you that the difference is in the wood carving stages. You initially begin with a knife to remove excess material.

However, the whittling changes to carving as more tools are needed to produce more details. Some practitioners may prefer the term whittler as opposed to a wood carver.

For them, the term holds some significance and is a matter of tradition. Alternatively, a wood carver may use the term to refer to the subcategory of woodworking that they are in.

For example, some may refer to themselves as “decorative carvers” while others may use “chip carvers.” It is a term to underscore their interest.

There’s also another category of wood carvers that may see carving as a profession and whittling as nothing more than a hobby.

The image of an old man using a pocket knife to shave sticks often creates a different meaning of whittling as opposed to where professionals produce intricate details on a pricey piece of furniture.

You will also agree that wood carving sounds a bit of a more professional and more advanced term as opposed to whittling.

If you happen to find a group of your friends around a camp talking politics and chipping or shaving wood with a pocket knife, do not say they were carving but rather, say they were whittling.

Factors You Consider Before Buying Wood Carving Knife

The choice of the carving knife is important and will determine whether you turn out a success or not. And what makes a carving knife good?

Durability

Apparently, carving knives should be robust enough to handle wood carving. In the process of whittling, the blade may sometimes get into the wood.

If it is not strong enough, it can break and may inflict a serious injury on you. Carbon steel is much better than stainless steel. However, it corrodes easily. That means you need to clean and oil the knife often to prevent rusting.

Sharpness

Sharp blades are safer and easier to use. Regarding material, carbon steel blades are sharper than stainless ones. When shopping, focus on the material of the blade and the quality of the edge.

Carbon steel is easy to sharpen and maintains its sharpness for a long time. Go for the blade that will give you unlimited reliability.

The handle

Always go for a knife that has an ergonomic handle. It makes it easy to handle the knife and carve efficiently. You need to have a secure grip to make detailed carving and not tire easily.

Individual handle designs can cause you to feel a significant amount of hand fatigue. This would make your sculpture come out as if a child did it. You can choose rubber or a wooden as they are comfortable and have a comfortable grip.

The size

Size determines the amount of detail that you can carve on a piece of wood. Long knives are hard to handle and uncomfortable to work with.

If the carving bug has gotten to you, shop for a knife with a short handle, and you will not be disappointed. It will fit perfectly in the palm of your hand and can then proceed to carve your masterpiece.

Types of Carving Styles

Wood carving is not all about taking a carving knife and coming up with a sculpture. It is more than that. There are various types of techniques in wood carving.

As a carver, it is always important to determine which method best fits your style. Don’t run to buy supplies for carving without first determining which style is the most appropriate for you.

Whittling

You have probably come across this term severally in your wood carving journey. It is among the oldest forms of carving and has characteristic sharp, as well as, textured cuts.

It is easy to identify whittling as the sculptures made using the technique are pretty angular. The whittling tool of choice is the carving or whittling knife.

Chip carving

Chip carvers are identified with the tools they use. The tools that include a chisel, hammer and knife give you a pretty good idea of what happens.

The carver chips away pieces of wood to create a sculpture. The technique is best applied in making intricate patterns in wooden boards and plates.

Relief carving

The method is quite different from the others in that you only carve a part of the wood leaving the rest untouched. Relief carving starts with a block of wood where you use your tools to carve particular figures into it. However, the back is left intact.

Carving in the Round

This is actually the opposite of relief carving. This technique resembles clay sculpturing. There are no sharp joints or corners. All around, everything is smooth and looks realistic.

Every side is carved. Without a doubt, this technique is the most difficult. The tools utilized to carve in the round include gouges, chisels, carving knife, files and also rasps.

Pocket Knife Safety Tips

For safety reasons, always make sure to use a comfortable and sharp knife. An uncomfortable knife is a health hazard.

It makes you tire easily and chances of making mistakes increase. If the handle is loose, you will need to replace it. Sharp knives are easy to use and control.

With a sharp knife, you don’t need to put much effort to carve. Before you begin carving your masterpiece, first make sure that it is both comfortable and sharp.

As mentioned, it is necessary that you work with a sharp knife. However, when the knife is extremely sharp, the risk of cutting you finger increases.

Wood is a hard material, and there is always an uncertainty as to what will happen when trying to whittle a particular section. The blade may get stuck, may slip when you hit a knot, and you will end up injuring yourself.

Wear a glove on the hand you are using to hold the sculpture and chances of accidentally cutting yourself will be minimal. The kind wood and type of knife are critical elements that will determine whether you end up with an injury or not.

The knife will not only prove inefficient but will also be dangerous to use. You cannot use a spoon knife to whittle wood. It may slip and land on the soft part of your body.

The type of wood you chose will determine the amount of effort you put. Match your chosen type of wood with the right knife, and you will be safe.

When whittling, hold the knife facing away from you. Your whittling motion should also be away from you to be on the safe side. Store all your carving tools in a safe place away from the children.

Put the knife in its casing before putting it away. As you protect the edge from damage, you and other in your household will also be safe.

Final Verdict

A wood carving knife is a useful kit that we need for carving and designing woods. In fact, a wood carver always searches for the best wood carving knife.

All the products we have listed here are much lighter in weight and very much handy. They are also much sharper at the same time.

These can satisfy a wood carver very much and are also best whittling knife for beginners. If one goes through the above review, he/she can get their expected product easily.

However, nothing is perfect in this world but if the user chooses the right product then he/she can be benefited from it. Everyone has a different kind of taste and for every kind of taste, we have listed these best whittling knife.

If someone chooses one of the above products, we can assure you that it will not disappoint you.